Celebrate Christmas in July with extra rummy rum balls

It’s the last weekend of July, and so it’s our last chance to celebrate a wintery Christmas in July. Use these final days to make a hefty batch of extra rummy rum balls to enjoy post dinner or alongside your toasty cup of mulled wine.

Place cranberries in a small cup, cover with rum and leave to soak. Next, finely crush the biscuits in a food processor or in a zip lock bag with a rolling pin. Place crushed biscuits in a large bowl.

Melt the butter and dark chocolate in a heat-proof jug or bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Once melted, add the butter-chocolate mix to the biscuits, along with the sweetened condensed milk, coconut and the rummy cranberries with a splash of extra rum. Stir all ingredients until well combined and resembling a stiff but moist mixture.

Take a large teaspoon of mixture and roll into a ball. Then roll the ball in extra coconut to coat before placing on a baking-paper-lined tray. Repeat with remaining mixture. Chill in fridge until ready to eat.

There’s no definitive answer on how much rum to add to this recipe, but empirical evidence has shown that English girls and anyone from North Queensland like their balls very rummy. If your mixture is too runny from the extra rum, add some cocoa powder to combat the additional moisture.